KIA SS family member - sharing information from WASt

Zipfel · Post by **Zipfel** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 3:40 am

Hi,

First of all, allow me to introduce myself. I have been "lurking" around this website/forums for quite a while drawn by the fact that there are a number of very knowledgeable and helpful individuals that make up this little "community". It was recommended to me (by Jason from memory) that I get in touch with the Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt) about four years ago which I did. They responded with a bunch of information about six months later and I have had this information for some time now. It does not mean a lot to me. Not from a language perspective (speak fluent German) but because the way I see it, it is essentially a bunch of "raw data". I am hopeful some of you can help "bring to life" so to speak.

Any way, the man I am researching is my Grandfather. His name was Franz Zipfel. He died near Breslau in March 1945 and was an Unterscharfuerer in SS-Kampfgruppe Delfs. I have some photos/postcards from early in the war and at that stage he was stationed in France. The German side of my family where very affected by the war and as such there is little information about my grand father - possibly also because "nobody spoke about these things" after the war.

Anyway, below is a transcript of the letter sent to me by WASt. I look forward to any further questions you may have or any light that can be shed on this. Hopefully this is of interest to someone.

Here is a link to the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgraeberfuersorge about the location of his grave:

http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/co ... BA3AD9C351

A member of this BBS by the name of Peter J Hertel (hopefully still here?) gave me the following information about SS-Kampfgruppe Delfs back in 2000:

Hermann Delfs was an Obersturmbannfuehrer and commander of SS-Pz.Gren.Ausb,u.Ers.Btl.4 as of 1 October 1944. He was also listed as commander of SS-Pz.Gren.Ausb,u.Ers.Btl.4 in a roster dated March 1945. The unit at the time was also stationed near Wohlau near Breslau in January 1945 and then later in February transferred to Triesch near Iglau in Boehmen-Maeren/Protectorate.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sehr Geehrter Herr Coppa,

aus dem erhaltenen gebliebenen Wehrmachtschriftgut geht ueber Ihren Grossvater Folgendes hervor:

Zipfel, Franz, geb. 18.04.1909 in Unteribental b. Freiburg

Diensteintrittsdatum: Nicht Angegeben

Erkennungsmarke: - 273 - 4.(E.)/I.R. 75

Truppenteil
lt. Meldung vom 04.10.1939 4. Kp.Inf.Ers.Btl. 75
Standort: Donaueschingen

Uebernahmedatum in die
Waffen SS: nicht verzeichnet

Truppenteile:
lt. Meldung vom 03.03.1942 SS-Pol. Division
- Aufenthalt im Feld-Lazarett der 11. Inf.-Division Ljuban/UdSSR wegen Erkrankung -

lt. Meldung vom 12.03.1942 SS-Pol. Division
- Aufenthalt im SS-Lazarett Riga wegen Erkraenkung -

Fuer die Zeit von April 1942 bis Maerz 1945 liegen keine Truppenmeldungen vor.

Gefallen:
Ende Maerz 1945 zwischen Niedermeldener und Riegersdorf
- Eidesstattliche Aussage eines Heimkehrers -

Laut Aussage seiner Ehefrau Rosa Zipfel gab er seine letzte Nachricht am 15.02.1945 aus Wohlau bei Breslau und gehoerte der Einheit SS-Kampfgruppe Delfs = Fp.Nr. 40649 H an.

Eine Verlustmeldung liegt von dieser Einheit fuer Maerz 1945 jedoch nicht vor.

Die SS-Kampfgruppe Delfs wurde im Januar 1945 mit in Wohlau/Schles. mit 5 Kompanien aus dem SS-Pz.Gren.Ers.u.Ausb.Btl. 4 aufgestellt; Einsatzraum: Schlesien.

Eine Grablage ist uns nicht bekannt. Wir empfehlen ihnen diesbezueglich eine Anfrage an den Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgraeberfuersorge e.V., Postfach 10 38 40, 34112 Kassel.

Mit Freundlichen Gruessen
Im Auftrag

Fr. Wengel

Roger Griffiths · Post by **Roger Griffiths** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 3:37 pm

Yes, it was SS Panzer Grenadier Replacement unit for 4 SS Polizei Panzer Grenadier Division. Replacement units were sent to the front and fought away from parent divisions towards end of the War.

Roger

Zipfel · Post by **Zipfel** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 5:20 am

Thanks for you response Roger.

So which SS Division did Einheit SS-Kampfgruppe Delfs = Fp.Nr. 40649 H belong to?

Timo · Post by **Timo** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 6:40 am

Like Roger said, Kampfgruppe Delfs did not fight with a specific Division at that time.

Ostubaf. Hermann Delfs (Hohenweststedt, 17.02.1905) commanded the SS-Pz.Gren.Ers.u.Ausb.Btl. 4 (SS Panzergrenadier replacement and training battalion 4) which was located at the Truppenübungsplatz (training grounds) in Wohlau (Schlesien). This training unit became Kampfgruppe (combat unit) Delfs overnight to meet the advancing Russians. The Germans usually named battle groups after its commander.

Hope this helps,
Timo

Franke · Post by **Franke** » Tue May 29, 2007 2:04 am

Zipfel,

Dein Grossvater koennte leider nicht seine letzte Nachricht am 15.02.1945 aus Wohlau (Kreissstadt in Schlesien) gegeben! Es war unmoeglich, weil die Stadt schon nachts 25/26.01.1945 bei die Russen besetz worden war. Vielleicht es handelt sich um 15.01.1945?

Wohlau ist mein Heimatort.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timo, Roger

Do you have any detailed informations about the Kampfgruppe Delfs?

A basic unit of this Kampfgruppe was SS-Panzergrenadier-Ausbildung-und Ersatz-Bataillon 4. which, at my knowledge had been transferred to barracks in Wohlau (present day Wołów) on 15.11.1944 and fought (most likely) in defence of Wohlau on 26.01.1945 sustaining heavy casualties. Afterwards its 5 kompanies were renforced by a combined Polizei Bataillon or Kompanie (I'm not sure) from Wohlau county, creating Kampfgruppe Delfs that took part in fightings around Ohlau, end of January 1945 (present day Oława).

Wohlau is NOT Ohlau

Alle those informations are uncertain! One guy from my town is a "hobby- historian" and claims that he has seen a SS Panzergrenadier-Division "Polizei" honour-book that contains basic datas about its fallen soldiers. Some of them have deathplace - "Wohlau". Do you know what book is that?

That's all I know.

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » Tue May 29, 2007 2:47 am

Well, Mehner lists Delfs as Kdr. of SS-PzGrenAuEBtl. 4 till 15.03.45, so the further fate of him and this KaGr. would be very interesting for me

Jan-Hendrik

Scott Revell · Post by **Scott Revell** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:21 am

It may be of interest that this unit (SS-Pz.Gr. A.u.E Btl 4) fought during the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944.

Cheers

Scott

Z i p f e l · Post by **Z i p f e l** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:27 am

Franke - thanks so much for your reply. It is a strange coincidence that I started looking into this the day you posted your response after 3 years or so.

You are no doubt right about the dates - my Grandmother stated that the last time she heard from him he was in Wohlau in February '45. I am sure she could have been wrong - in all the confusion that was the last months of the war - and considering potential censorship etc, it would make sense for some dates to be out.

According to the information I have, he fell somewhere between Niedermeldener und Riegersdorf. Any idea what those places are named today and where they are in relation to Wohlau?

Z i p f e l · Post by **Z i p f e l** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:29 am

Oh by the way - my email adress has changed in since my last post - so I had to re-register as Z i p f e l instead of Zipfel.......

Franke · Post by **Franke** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:07 pm

Zipfel,

Your grandfather fell between Nieder MEHLTHEUER (not Niedermeldener - there was no village named like that) and RIEGERSDORF in Kreis Strehlen.

This area saw heavy fightings in March 1945 - the battle of Strehlen.

So - he is buried somewhere beetwen villages JEGŁOWA and GOŚCIĘCICE in POWIAT STRZELIN (Kreis Strehlen) Lower Silesia, present day Poland.

With regards

Z i p f e l · Post by **Z i p f e l** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:09 am

Thought there may be some interest here in Kampfgruppe Delfs. I found this map - this makes complete sense!

Franke · Post by **Franke** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:33 am

Zipfel,

Where did you find this map? It's pretty goog. It shows that your grandfathers bataillon withdrew from Wohlau and crossed the Oder River in Dyhenrfurth (Brzeg Dolny).

I do not want to be unkind, but it's quite possible, that your grandfather was escorting K. L. Dyhernfurth I and II prisoners on 24. and 25. January 1945. Over 3000 people were murdered by the Germans then... Let me be understood, I don't say it was him that took part in that war crime, but 4. SS Pz. Gren. Ers. u. Ausb. Btl. was the only one Waffen SS unit in this area and in reminiscences of former prisoners who survived it was the Waffen SS NOT Algemeine SS to be "escorting" them... But anyway I think that most of the batallion's soldiers stayed back in Wohlau trying do defend the town, although some soldiers were ordered to "escort" K.L. prisoners.

With regards.

Z i p f e l · Post by **Z i p f e l** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:43 am

Franke,

I am searching for the truth - no matter how unpleasant it may be. "K. L. Dyhernfurth I and II prisoners" - does this mean POW's or civilians?

Edit: We are talking about KZ Gross-Rosen, am I right?

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:05 am

The map can be found in Friedrich Husemann's Die guten Glaubens waren, Vol. 2

Jan-Hendrik

Z i p f e l · Post by **Z i p f e l** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:34 am

Franke - can you help me out here.

I have since figured out that K. L. Dyhernfurth I and II where Aussenlager (external/'satellite' camps) of Gross-Rosen. They where located in Brzeg Dolny.

If he died between JEGŁOWA and GOŚCIĘCICE, where are these towns in relation to the above camp and in particular - in relation to the death march?

Your help is very much appreciated.